The Marksman's Legacy
by jovysanchez17
Summary: "I believe in the Captain. I believe in the crew… I believe in HIM." She looked straight at him and Yasopp felt pride fill his chest, because the depth of her eyes held a mixture of both compassion together with a challenging gleam. "Have faith and believe in him Yasopp-san, because he is a lot like you. A brave warrior that the sea has called to her arms."
1. Prologue

**Author's Note** : This is my first fanfic for the OP universe and my second fanfic really, but I am restless and I have this plot in my head for I do not even remember how long! Sigh. I need to get it out and btw, Heed the Siren's Call is an all-time favorite fan fiction of mine, so I suggest for you people to read that. It will really rev up the feels for your OP vibes. :)

 **Disclaimer:** One Piece is not mine, because it is Eiichiro Oda's. I can never ever claim it as mine, because I'm not a genius story writer like him and I much rather appreciate being a reader, because I love making theories in my head and be fascinated when the master does his unpredictable twist and turns. He. Is. Awesome! Anyways, let us go to the story shall we? :D

* * *

"Cap, why don't we head to my island first?"

He said his piece when Shanks was having a pathetic panic scene and double thoughts in returning to Foosha village to face Makino after their ten years apart. The redhead was acting like an idiot given the rise of all his melodramatic flair and self-doubts right when their crew had already traveled all the way from the New World to East Blue. He gave his suggestion to provide his Captain some breathing air even though the request was low key for him.

He knew that he was long overdue for a visit, but he did not expect to return to this. The small kitchen looked untouched and the wares are similar to what he remembered to have used long ago, which indicated that no one cooked a meal here for quite a long time. The furniture are old and beaten and have a gathering of dust on the surfaces, while cobwebs are present on some corners of the house. The state of the place testified that someone had been living in this house for years, before suddenly leaving maybe more or less a year ago.

Yasopp cannot stop the tears prickling at the edges of his eyes. Where was his beloved Banchina? Where was his charming little Usopp? What happened to his precious family? Did they move to another island? Did the Marines found out about them? Did something terrible happe-

"NO! No… Please, no."

He cannot help but feel suffocated. He felt like there was a big lump on his throat, because it was not supposed to be like this. During the few times he allowed himself to dream of selfish wishes, amidst their crew's voyages and the sea's calling, he dreamed of finally have time to visit his family and recount his adventures to his loved ones. He had dreamed of laughter, of smiles, and of overflowing love. However, here he was, standing in the middle of his house with his grin long gone, because the house is empty. The house once filled with his wife's melodious voice and his son's tinkling laughter is deserted and empty.

"Why… why… why… why… why… why?"

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Finally an initial release for that plot bunny! Hahaha I'll stop here for now because I'm sleepy, but I'll place additional chapters when I get my head on the game. But first! Beauty sleep! :D Hahaha


	2. Chapter 1: Returned too late

**Author's Note** : This is my first fanfic for the OP universe and my second fanfic really, but I am restless and I have this plot in my head for I do not even remember how long! Sigh. I need to get it out and btw, Heed the Siren's Call is an all-time favorite fan fiction of mine, so I suggest for you people to read that. It will really rev up the feels for your OP vibes. :)

 **Disclaimer:** One Piece is not mine, because it is Eiichiro Oda's. I can never ever claim it as mine, because I'm not a genius story writer like him and I much rather appreciate being a reader, because I love making theories in my head and be fascinated when the master does his unpredictable twist and turns. He. Is. Awesome! Anyways, let us go to the story shall we? :D

* * *

"I'm so sorry, but she's long gone."

Why is the world so cruel? Why does it take away precious and warm people so fast? Why his Banchina? Why?

He cannot stem the flow of tears slowly cascading down his face. He cannot help but feel guilt. Given the current situation he is facing, he, without a shred of doubt, would have chosen to be with his wife and son rather than answering the call of the sea.

If he knew that Banchina only had a few more years in this world, he would have stayed. If he only knew her fate, then he would not have answered the call no matter how much it tugged at his heart. If he only knew… however, he didn't know. For the life of him, he didn't know that this damn thing would happen and sadly he had already made his choice a long time ago; his second thoughts are ten years late in fact. His wife was long gone and his son was missing without a trace.

Yasopp cannot help the bitterness swelling inside him. He grew up on this island. He had run through its forests and had fished at its shores. He started and built his family here, so why did no one question the sudden disappearance of his son? Why did no one give a damn about the welfare and whereabouts of his boy?

"They have no clue were the boy had gone." This was what Ben informed Yasopp earlier.

Ben Beckman had returned from visiting the small town's square and was leaning against the door frame of Yasopp's house with a cigarette present in his hands. After learning about Banchina's passing, the marksman was haunted and was terrified to know what fate befell his son, so the first mate took it upon himself to gather information in behalf of his nakama. The gray-haired man fell short though as he was not able to gather any relevant information and only a few vague rumors here and there. The boy might as well have never existed given how no one was aware that he was missing until his disappearance was a constant and undeniable fact.

Ben took another drag on his cigarette as he observed his nakama. The man's posture was rigid, shoulder's stiff and arms curled tightly as he stared forlornly at the three picture frames atop the dusty desk near the left side of the front door. The leftmost photo showed three little boys with odd haircuts playing pirate with a preteen that looked like a carbon copy of Yasopp except for the different nose and hair color.

Beside it was a photo of the same yet a bit younger preteen together with a blonde young girl. The boy was sitting on a tree branch arms raised high with a wide smile on his face as if he was recounting an adventurous expedition. The girl was leaning on a windowsill directly across the excited boy; her crossed arms braced her frail body, her eyes were crinkled, and her mouth open wide with laughter. She looked ill, but the joyful atmosphere between the two friends seem to have alleviated her unhealthy state.

The last photo beheld their sharpshooter's deceased wife and beloved son. The boy was a mere toddler in the picture, perhaps the same age as when Yasopp last saw his family before he answered his calling and sailed the seas. As a pirate who chose the stormy seas over a peaceful island life, you would usually think that the ones who had to worry are those left behind, because the ocean is dangerous and so are the people who brave it. However, due to this thinking, one would forget that the state of loss could go the other way around. Ben cannot fault his nakama for his melancholy, because Yasopp's lost was a heavy one; a lost that only time can now heal.

Ben heard an almost inaudible sigh released from his right, so he took a sideways downward glance towards his captain. Shanks was on a chair beside the window carelessly rolling an unopened bottle of expensive sake to and from his hands. It was only supposed to be Ben and Yasopp who would go into town in order to remain inconspicuous, but their captain threw a fit and demanded to join them. Shanks' reasoning bordered around the fact that he wanted to give a personal apology to Banchina for keeping her husband away for years and he recklessly wanted to share a cup of sake with Yasopp's son given that the boy would be quite old enough to drink. Too bad the redhead would not be able to accomplish any of his plans, because their return is undeniably too late.

"Let's head back to the Red Force, Captain. I bet the idiots there are making a ruckus without Bennie to keep them in line."

Ben and Shanks startled from their respective deep thoughts due to Yasopp's sudden and loud declaration amidst the house's forlorn and eerie silence. The sharpshooter tried to joke around and be jolly, but nothing can mask the pain behind his dark eyes. Yasopp took one last look at the third photo, caressed the faces of his wife and son, before he took three wide strides and was finally out the door. He stilled as he passed Ben, face scrunched up as if he was having an internal debate, before he straightened his back, stared straight ahead, and continued on his way towards the forest that hid the steep-sloped shore where their main ship docked away from the eyes of the island's inhabitants.

Yasopp trudged on in silence towards the forest with Ben and Shanks at his heels. He tried to vie for a languid pace, but his Captain and first mate's keen eyes took note of the stretch of his legs, the rhythm of his footfalls, and the timing of his stride. No matter how relaxed or composed he tried to appear, Yasopp looked like he was desperately running away. Running away from a nightmare that he was not ready to face.

"Yasopp."

Yasopp faltered in his strides when he heard his Captain's stern voice. He came to an abrupt halt and the momentum shocked him. Did he almost start running? He was sure that he was only walking. Shanks' stern voice cleared his fogged up mind.

 _I'm a grown up man damn it! There's no need to lose my composure._

Yasopp tried to relax and face the situation maturely. He cannot do anything for his wife anymore. He can only wish for her soul to be at rest and in peace. However, there is bound to be a reason for his son's disappearance, he knew it deep inside. He wants to know the answer and he knows that he just needs to find the right person to ask. At least one person was bound to know what happened to his son. Right? He just needs to find the one who knows, because…

 _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! This was not how it was supposed to be!_

"Calm down, Yasopp." Shanks solemnly ordered to his best marksman. "We still have time to ask around the island about your son. Ben had heard a few rumors circulating around. Even if nobody really believes them, you and I know that there are always tidbits of truths behind rumors."

Yes, the rumors. Ben was able to gather stories about a three-men pirate crew, the disappearance of a butler, boys who run around shouting that pirates are coming (that no one takes seriously), and a hypnotist. These events happened around the same timeframe that his son disappeared, but the information is quite few and vague that it is difficult to produce a sensible story. If his missing son's story is sensible at the very least.

"I know that, Cap." Yasopp whirled around to face his nakama and forced himself to calm down. He is agitated and annoyed, and he really wants to put a round of bullets to a boulder right now, but he will not let himself disrespect his captain. "I know that we could still ask around town, but I doubt that we'll get any more information than what Bennie gathered."

"I agree." Ben exhaled a stream of smoke as he lifted his view to an area in the tree line at his right. Shanks spared it a glance before he paid his full attention to his first mate. "Based on my assessment of the town's people, most are quite gullible and ignorant, Captain. They also looked like they have experienced a long life of peaceful times. They're most likely the type of people who would not be aware if questionable events happened in their island."

This sense of peace and safety is surely a luxury that the blues have a chance to experience, especially the least chaotic sea, which is East Blue.

"Yeah!" Yasopp cannot help but grumble, because the people's disregard for his son's whereabouts annoyed him to no end. "They would probably be sitting all merry and happy, while they don't know that pirates are already docking at their shores and getting ready to give them hell."

He based his biting remark on the circumstance where the town's people are unaware that their shores currently house the Red Hair Pirates' main ship. He had no idea that his theoretical judgement of the island's inhabitants was spot on as such event did happen when a certain straw hat-wearing captain and his crew visited the island about a year ago.

"I want to know what happened to my son, Cap." Yasopp cannot reiterate his desire much more than what he is doing at that moment. "… but I know that they are not the ones who could give me the answers. I need to find someone who is close to my son. I need to find his friends and hopefully they would know what happened to him, because –"

"Yasopp?" A feminine voice questioned out of breath. "You're Yasopp right?"

Yasopp looked towards the source of the voice that called his name. It was a young woman who came to an abrupt halt at the tree line on his far left. He must have really been out of it earlier, if his Observation Haki was not able to detect her approach. Based on Ben and Shanks posture, they have sensed her long before she reached them and did not consider her as a threat, as if a dainty girl like her could ever be a threat to three of them.

Her crown of shoulder-length sunshine hair cascaded down her head and was in mild disarray from the sprint she most likely had been doing, taking into account her labored breath. She wore no jewels or trinkets, but the fine material of her dress indicates that she came from a family that is well off than others. Even though the girl was visibly tired from her exertion, he cannot deny the grace and elegance of her movements. She really was a dainty one.

"Yes, I'm Yasopp. That's me." He answered strongly as he observed her form. Now that he had more time to observe her, he realized that she was quite a good-looking young woman. He doubts that he had encountered her before; she appears to be about half his age. How could she possibly know him? It has been almost sixteen years since he last stepped foot in this island. "Have we met, Miss?"

"Hmm… no, sadly we haven't" Her melodious voice quipped. She took calming breaths and looked him in the eye. She stared at him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, before she straightened up, and gave him a glowing smile. "He grew up to look a lot like you, you know."

There was bound to be a reason for his son's disappearance, he just needs to find the right person to ask. He just needs to find the source of the truth, because he would not be able to stay still if he does not know. As Yasopp looks at the delicate young woman who, he realizes with a touch of humor and pride, stood tall and brave in front of three burly middle-aged men, he believes that he has found the source of his much-needed answers.

* * *

 **Author's note** : The result of a good day's hard work! Yey! Oh I love Ben and Shanks, so I'll most likely add them to the story when I wish to do so. I also love Kaya and even though she's a sickly little thing, I can't deny that she got spunk when she faced Kuro's treachery in Usopp's story line. So I'll make sure to use that character trait and her lady-like persona. I love little ladies who know how to deal with people (especially pirates! :D)

A preview? Hmm... more like an idea for the next chapter, but hey I might use it! :D

"I believe in the Captain. I believe in the crew… I believe in HIM." She looked straight at him and Yasopp felt pride fill his chest, because the depth of her eyes held a mixture of both compassion together with a challenging gleam. "Have faith and believe in him Yasopp-san, because he is a lot like you. A brave warrior that the sea has called to her arms."


	3. Chapter 2: So Painfully Alike

**Author's Note** : This is my first fanfic for the OP universe and we are at Chapter 2! Yey! I wanted to continue with the story where we stopped, but I love Kaya and the Usopp Pirates so I want to give them the spotlight, because no one rarely does so. In addition, I had fun writing their POV in the plot and it turned out exciting! I hope you people enjoy it as much as I did! :)

 **Disclaimer:** One Piece is not mine, because it is Eiichiro Oda's. I can never ever claim it as mine, because I'm not a genius story writer like him and I much rather appreciate being a reader, because I love making theories in my head and be fascinated when the master does his unpredictable twist and turns. He. Is. Awesome! Anyways, let us go to the story shall we? :D

* * *

"Are you sure it's a thief? Maybe you were just seeing things!" A high-pitched voice, definitely from that of a child, exclaimed in doubt.

The shout echoed in the hallway of the largest mansion in Syrup Village and startled the house owner from her wandering thoughts. It seems like her little guardians are finally here to keep her company.

"I know what I saw!" Hissed another child's voice in mild hurt and irritation. "Why are you looking at me like I'm a liar? I'm telling you the truth, I swear!"

"Well we've been lying for practically more than half of our lives! I don't know when you're telling the truth or not anymore." The first voice argued back. The sound of the voices was drawing near and footsteps were approaching the mansion's master bedroom. "I don't even know if I'm telling the truth or not anymore!" The voice exclaimed in hysterics.

The Lady of the house stifled her laughter as she heard the boys' argument. Though she found their banters and general youthful activities entertaining, it wouldn't be good to let the boys see her laughing at them. Such action would make them lose confidence in themselves and they might think that she wasn't taking them seriously. That is a definite wrong move, if what she truly wants was to help the boys grow confident and happy.

She took one last glance at the news article that she had reread for more than a dozen times and placed it in a journal that contained other related news clippings. She placed the journal under the various medicine books inside her desk drawer, secured the lock, and placed the chain that holds the desk's key on her delicate neck.

 _The Captain is alive and well. There is no news about the others, but no news is better than bad news._

The Captain is strong and brave and so is his crew. This is not the end of their story and she truly believes so. Even if the whole world believes that the Strawhats are defeated and long gone, she will not lose hope.

Kaya quickly placed a smile on her face and forced herself to remove all negative thoughts from her head as she faced her visitors.

"Well it's true!" The second voice said with conviction as its owner appeared in front of Kaya's opened bedroom door. A boy with dark green hair shaped like a pepper came to a stop and placed his hands on his waist. He was wearing a light green shirt with short sleeves with the Usopp Pirates Jolly Roger on the front. He was also wearing a light blue sash, dark blue pants, and black shoes with grey laces that is also grey on the bottom and at the top. "I saw it with my very eyes, Ninjin. They were pillaging and wreaking havoc inside the Boss' house!"

"I won't be fooled by your lies, Piiman." The owner of the first voice, Ninjin, harrumphed as he also came to a stop in front of Kaya's bedroom door. Ninjin was a freckled boy with short spiky purple hair that cover his eyes, a red hat with a frill at the top and the Usopp Pirates Jolly Roger on the front, and a face that ends in a pointed chin; these features made his head resemble a carrot. He was also wearing a black sweater, a reddish-brown sash, light orange pants, and dark brown shoes that is light brown on the bottom.

The boys obviously became annoyed with each other and started a stare down. Kaya chose that moment to walk towards them and intervene, as she does not favor meaningless fights, especially among close friends.

Kaya bent down to greet the boys. She made sure to invade their personal space to distract them from their stare down.

"Good afternoon, Ninjin and Piiman! How are you today?"

Now that she was feeling relatively much healthier than before, one of her past times was teasing the boys. It made her feel energized and their adorableness, like the blushes they were sporting now, is an additional blessing to her day.

"Good afternoon, Lady Kaya! We're fine, thank you!" The boys chorused as they shyly smiled at her.

"My, what great manners!" Kaya giggled as the boys' smiles became wider.

"Hmm…" She looked around the hallway, but it seems that the third member of her merry band of little guardians was nowhere in sight. "Boys, where is Tamanegi?"

"Oh you know how he is Lady Kaya; he has a habit of disappearing off somewhere..." Ninjin explained as the boys went inside Kaya's bedroom. He took her coat from atop her desk chair and walked back to place it on her shoulders.

"Yeah! Oomph…" Piiman had jumped to reach her sunhat from the rack and ungracefully landed on a crouch. He beamed at her to show that he was fine and he walked up to her to place the hat on her head. "We'll probably see him later."

"… He'd probably come out of nowhere screaming again…" Ninjin murmured as he fixed Kaya's hair over the coat and looked at her face. He gave her a nod and sent a thumbs-up to Piiman before they assisted Kaya to stand.

"My, oh my! I sure look well-dressed today, don't I?" Kaya laughed as each boy held one of her hands. They led her downstairs and outside the mansion. "Oh, where are you boys taking me?"

"Anywhere you want! Merry mentioned that you're much healthier these days Lady Kaya, so he tasked us to guard you as you take a short walk around." Piiman stood straight and jutted his chin out to show how proud he was of becoming her 'body guard'. "He said that the doctors want you to exercise your muscles slowly and we're here to help!"

"… It was more like Merry was forced to accept our help…" Ninjin murmured as he looked around the path they were taking. It seemed familiar to him, but he was not quite sure since they have let Kaya lead them to wherever she wanted to go after they left the vicinity of the mansion.

"Would you stop with your side comments?" Piiman demanded in exasperation as he raised his arms in the air. "Merry was not forced! He was… coerced."

"… Do you even know what 'coerced' mean?"

"… No… But I read it in one of Lady Kaya's books and it sounds like a cool word…"

Kaya placed her left hand on her mouth and tried to hide the laughter that bubbled up her throat. The boys sure are growing wittier and smarter by the day, but they still do have a lot to learn.

"Well I'm glad that you managed to learn a new word from the books I asked you boys to read when you visit me, Piiman."

She smoothed out her fingers through Piiman's head as she smiled at the child.

"Don't worry boys, I'm sure that Merry was neither forced nor coerced to let you boys be my guards. I know that he asked you to do so, because you are brave and dependable young men."

This comment earned her ear to ear grins from the two boys at her sides as they all continued on their way.

* * *

Throughout their walk, Piiman and Ninjin kept talking about one thing or another with Kaya quietly listening with a small smile on her face. Their walk led them to a pathway towards a house that is quite isolated from the town's square.

"Wait! Why are we going to the Boss' house?" Piiman exclaimed in panic as he pulled Kaya's hand and held her back. "Lady Kaya, as I've kept telling Ninjin earlier, there was a thief at the Boss' house! They were pillaging and wreaking havoc in there! We really shouldn't go there, because the thief might not have left yet!"

"Would you stop with that nonsense already, Piiman? That was such a terrible lie!" Ninjin let go of Kaya's right hand as he stopped Piiman from roughly pulling her away. "And stop pulling Lady Kaya! You're hurting her!"

"Ninjin, calm down. Please, may the two of you stop fighting? I don't like seeing you boys fight with one another." Kaya said in a soft yet stern voice as she went near the purple-haired child.

"Don't worry too much, Ninjin. I'm not hurt."

She patted Ninjin at the back before she faced Piiman who was still panicking. It made her seriously think if the boy really was telling the truth or not.

"Piiman, I heard what you were saying earlier. That's why I want to check if someone really did went inside Usopp's house. Is everything clear already? Let us go then!"

She gave them a wink before she straightened and continued on her way towards Usopp's house. The two dumbfounded kids looked at one another before hastily following her.

"Lady Kaya, wait up! What if the thief is still there?" Piiman ran at Kaya's heels while frantically looking around him.

"If it really was a thief, then by theory he should be gone by now. Thieves are notorious for moving swiftly in and out of the place they are stealing from." Kaya explained as she opened the door to Usopp's remarkably empty house.

"…But Lady Kaya!"

"It's okay Piiman! Look inside, nobody's here!" Kaya stood at the opened doorway as she looked at the tree line to her left. "Oh! It seems like Tamanegi is here! Tamanegi!"

"Guys! Run away! Pirates are coming! Pirates are coming!" A boy with onion-shaped brown hair was running towards them while screaming his lungs away. He was wearing square glasses and a yellow shirt with a blue vest jacket over it. He was also wearing a dark yellow sash, dark brown pants, and black shoes, with grey on the very top and bottom, with tan buckles.

"… I told you he would come out of nowhere screaming…" Ninjin commented as he looked at his running friend.

As Tamanegi was running towards them, they realized that he was carrying some items in his arms. There was a baseball bat… a little shovel… and... a frying pan? He looked quite unstable on his feet because of the items he was carrying, so it was no surprise to see him eventually trip and fall down.

"Oh my! Tamanegi are you alright?" Kaya exclaimed as they all went towards the fallen boy to help him up.

"I'm fine, Lady Kaya." The boy murmured with his face still planted on the ground.

"Tamanegi. How many times have I told you three not to lie about that?" Kaya chastised the boy with a small smile on her face. "It's cute to see you three continuing Usopp's tradition of shouting that pirates are coming, but you don't need to do that in front of me. All of us know the true story."

"But I swear, I'm not lying this time Lady Kaya!"

* * *

Ninjin swept his gaze around Usopp's house as the four of them all went inside. The whole place was as clean and neat as an abandoned place can possibly be.

"So much for 'pillaging' and 'wreaking havoc', when nothing seems out of place. Geez, even I could make a better lie than that... oomph." Ninjin scowled towards Piiman, who jutted him with the baseball bat, while he nursed his bruised side.

"So much for whispering, when I can clearly hear you."

"… Well your lying skills suck... you clearly need improvement…"

"We're dead… we're dead… we're absolutely dead…" Tamanegi kept murmuring repeatedly as he crouched down under the lone table in the house. He hugged his little shovel to his chest as his gaze kept flickering left and right as if he was scared that someone would suddenly appear and attack all of them.

"Boys, please quiet down and behave." Kaya scolded in a soft tone as she looked around the place.

"Yes, Lady Kaya." The three boys chorused in varying tones; two were of mild shame and the third one sounded like a down-scaled shriek.

Ninjin and Piiman started another stare down, while Tamanegi kept fidgeting on his spot under the table. You cannot really blame the kid for his fidgeting as there really was a pirate ship docked on their island's shores. He saw it with his very own eyes, Jolly Roger and all!

He also saw some people going towards the ship earlier, so he freaked out and went to get weapons. Now that he thought about it though, he doubts a shovel, a frying pan, and a baseball bat is enough to fight those pirates. They look much stronger than Kuro's crew does!

Tamanegi had been shrieking at the town's square earlier that pirates were coming, but alas, no one believed him. He was telling the truth this time, but no one was taking the time to listen to him, how dare they! There was this strange grey-haired man though that kept looking at him. Remembering that stare, Tamanegi cannot help but think that the person was a very creepy old dude. He felt a shiver run up his spine by just thinking of that old man.

Meanwhile, Kaya appeared to be calm and composed on the outside, but her heart was thundering against her chest as she stared at the desk that holds three photographs. It seems that Piiman was telling the truth, because somebody had been here.

No, it was not a thief… because a thief steals… a thief takes something away… This was not a thief, because rather than having something taken away… something was left behind… and the object left behind completed a story she heard long ago… a story long unfinished…

"I told you I wasn't lying!" Piiman hissed as he brandished his baseball bat towards Ninjin when their stare down ended with his lost.

"Then why isn't the place a mess? If there really was a thief, then shouldn't it be messy?" Ninjin gestured around the place with his frying pan in one hand.

"There really was a thief! He had blonde hair, he was muscly, and he had a pistol on his belt! He looked dangerous! Well… now that I that I think about it, he looked kind of cool too…"

"Pirates are coming and no one believes me… oh no… we're dead… we're dead… we're absolutely dead…"

 _Blonde hair._

 _Pistol._

 _Pirates._

"… _It was a symbol of love, you know… a promise…"_

"Tamanegi!" The boys startled at Kaya's uncharacteristic anxious voice. They all stared at her as she crouched down to Tamanegi's level. "What were you saying earlier? About pirates?"

"Oh… uh…" Tamanegi gulped as Kaya's unusual intense gaze focused on him. This was among the rare times that they saw the normally docile young woman become passionate; it was unnerving. "Pi-pirates are coming, Lady Kaya… Uh… I saw their ship by the shore… you know, OUR shore..."

"Thanks goodness. Good job Tamanegi! " Kaya beamed at the boy and placed a kiss on his forehead, which left the boy blushing and stuttering as he stared at her.

"You did a good job too, Piiman!" She stood up and patted said boy on the head before she ran out the door.

"Wait, Lady Kaya! You shouldn't run!" Ninjin immediately went after her, in fear of something happening to her due to her health conditions.

"The doctors said that it's okay to walk, but running is a big no-no!" Piiman went running after them when he got over his initial shock. "Lady Kaya!"

"Lady Kaya! Ninjin! Piiman! Why are you going that way?" Tamanegi soon left his tentative shelter under the table and ran screaming at their heels. "I told you that's where the pirates are! Are you all crazy?"

* * *

Kaya ran through the dense forest as fast and as carefully as she can. She should have thought about this more, because her attire really was not for any prolong and engaging activity, but she does not care. She needs to go to the shore, because, if her guess is right, HE will be there.

Kaya's breathing was coming out in gasps, but she didn't stop herself from running as fast as she can towards the shore. That place held memories both good and bad, happy and sad. If what she had guessed was correct, then she hopes that this will be another good memory to share. If she guessed wrong, then she will think about it when she gets there.

 _Blonde hair._

 _Pistol._

 _Pirates._

Kaya faltered in her steps when she heard a strong and stern voice a few feet ahead of her mention a name she hoped to hear.

"Could it really be him?" She whispered breathlessly as she took a couple of slow steps towards the voices.

"… We still have time to ask around the island about your son…"

"It could... it really could be…" Kaya cannot stop the wide smile from overtaking her face as she heard what the voices were discussing. She broke again into another run until she reached the tree line.

Somewhere to her left were two middle-aged men, one was a grey-haired man and the other was a red-haired man. The grey-haired man was smoking a cigarette and was looking right at her with a very penetrating gaze, which made her halt immediately from her sprint. The red-haired man was wearing a dark cape and he was talking to another middle-aged man that stood just a couple of steps from her.

"I want to know what happened to my son, Cap." The man directly in front of her said. He declared it with so much conviction and emotion that Kaya felt her heart ache. She can easily imagine the pain he might be feeling right now.

"… but I know that they are not the ones who could give me the answers. I need to find someone who is close to my son. I need to find his friends and hopefully they would know what happened to him, because –"

 _Blonde hair._

 _Pistol._

 _Pirates._

"Yasopp?" She heard herself whisper out of breathe. "You're Yasopp, right?"

The blonde-haired middle-aged man looked at her and she wanted to laugh aloud at that moment.

 _Oh my God, Usopp! You really are a great storyteller. You described his features accurately._

"Yes, I'm Yassop. That's me." The man answered her strongly as he faced her and observed her form.

He was a tall man. He was not as tall as his two companions were, but he surely towers over her.

… _Would you be as tall as him someday?..._

He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, grey pants, brown boots, a long cape, and a big belt that held a pistol. His face had scruffs of a newly growing mustache and beard and his blonde-hair was in dreadlocks. She must agree with Piiman's observation, the man in front of her was 'muscly' and dare she say it but he does look so cool and rogue. The man in front of her really looked like a brave warrior of the sea.

… _Would you look this strong and dangerous someday?..._

"Have we met, Miss?" The blonde man in front of her inquired after he finished assessing her.

"Hmm… no, sadly we haven't." She answered as she took calming breaths and looked the man in the eye. Kaya then realized that she had seen eyes like those before and heaven forbids, but she misses the owner of those eyes dearly.

… _You and your father look so alike, Usopp…_

She straightened up and gave the man a warm smile. "He grew up to look a lot like you, you know."

… _So painfully alike…_

She misses her own brave warrior of the sea dearly, but looking at this man in front of her... A man who returned home dreaming of happy reunions, but met with overwhelming loss, which she can feel in his gaze alone... Kaya knows that she needs to take a step back for now…This man, he needed answers… he needed to hear the true stories… he sure is lucky, because she has a lot of stories to tell.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : This chapter turned out much longer than it should be, but alas, a more dynamic Kaya was here! I know that Kaya is all lady-like and all that jazz, but the girl has fire within her and I hope I was able to show my characterization of her properly. I also love the kids. I got rather affected with all the arguments that Piiman and Ninjin got into (It is kinda weird to be affected by your own story as you were writing it, right? Hahaha), which was why I took so long to finish this chapter. I had to purge the negativity out of me! Lolz I was not able to get to use this line again…

 _"I believe in the Captain. I believe in the crew… I believe in HIM." She looked straight at him and Yasopp felt pride fill his chest, because the depth of her eyes held a mixture of both compassion together with a challenging gleam. "Have faith and believe in him Yasopp-san, because he is a lot like you. A brave warrior that the sea has called to her arms."_

… But it's growing on me and I'll find a way to use it in the next chapter… I also want Kaya to interact with the Re Hair Pirates even if in a short term basis, so if you people wanna see that then stay in tuned! :)

P.S.: This is a unedited work and so are the other chapters so I might go and edit them for grammar and other things once I have more time. :D


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